Fireplace-heater



J. S. NICHOLS.

FIREPLACE HEATER.

APPucAnon men 6.2!. 1920.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lsf mcams.

FIREPLACE HEATER.

APPLICATION nun mesa. 1920.

1 ,370,349, Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

2 "NETS-SHEET 2- Txa. 3: TIE. E

A WWZ UNITE D S "P F I C E JAMES S. NICHOLS, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA,ASSIGNOR TO RIC-HEATER CORPORATION OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OFGEORGIA.

FIREPLACE-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application filed August 21, 1820. Serial No. 405,042.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. NICHOLS a citizen of the United States,residin at A lanta, in the county of Fulton and tate of Georgia, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Fireplace-Heaters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to heating devices for rooms, apartments and thelike and particularly to an open grate heater, and the primary object ofthe invention is to provide an open grate heater adapted to be readilyarranged in open fireplaces of diiferent types, and to have theessential elements of the improved heater so coordinated that the heatermay be readily adapted to fireplaces of different structures withoutrequiring a reorganization of the heater. A further object of theinvention is to provide a novel structure of open fireplace heater whichconstitutes an improvement of the heating device of similar characterdisclosed by my pending application, filed June 9, 1919, Ser. No.302,456, and in the improved heater the products of combustion arecaused to circulate or pass therethrough to a smoke outlet or chimneyfrom the open grate by way of a drum which extends inwardly anadvantageous distance from the front of the fire place to provide anextended heating surface for practically heating a room or compartmentinto which the drum may project with material economy in the use offuel.

The present improved heater com rises a complete organization of iratean frame having a metal back sheat ing adapted to be readily set inplace in a fireplace opening and to which the drum may be removablyapplied and positively held by a simple operation and without requiringthe services of skilled workmen to dispose the several parts of theheater in operative position. The invention also consists in theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a erspective view of the improved fireplace eater.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the sides and back of theimproved heater and particularly showin the formation of the upper andtop portion thereof.

1g. 3 1s a perspective view of the removable drum.

Fig. 4 1s a transverse vertical section through a fireplace and a art ofthe adjacent wall and chimney ue showin one mode of mounting theimproved eater therein.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fi 4: showin a difierent mode of mounting te improve heater in a fireplace.

The improved heater as particularly shown by F igs. 1, 2, and 3comprises opposite metal members or ends 5 having lower outwardextensions or supporting feet 6 to rest on the floor of a fireplace, theupper extremities of the said ends 5 havin recesses l to provide lowerand rear shoul ers 8 and 9 for a purpose which will be presentlyexplained. The ends 5 are continued rearwardly in the form of endextensions 10 that also constitute the opposite ends of a rear mclosure11 having a closed back wall or side 12 and an upper forwardly inclinedtop wall 13 terminatlng in rear of the upper terminals of the ends 5.The ends 5, extensions 10, the back wall or side 12 and the upwardly andforwardly inclined top wall 13 are preferably formed integral and ofsuitable cast metal. It will be understood, however, that in somestructures it may be desirable to make the rear inclosure 11 separatefrom the ends 5 and secure the said inclosure to the rear edges of theends by any well known means. It is preferred, however, that the ends 5and the rear inclosure 1.1 be of integral structure so that all thispart of the 1m roved heater may be conveniently set in a ireplace.Suitably supported between the ends 5 and the extensions 10 is an openor basket grate 14 which is held at any suitable elevation at its bottomportion above the lower edges of the feet or supports 6. This gratecontinues rear- Wardly to the back wall or side 12 and is bolted orotherwise fastened to the arts of the heater comprising the ends 5 anthe said inclosure 11. This grate may be so secured to the ends and theparts of the in closure 11 that it ma be removed in the event of burningout of the grate bars or fer other reasons and replaced by a similar newgrate. The remaining essential feature of the heater 1s a drum 15 whichis removably .fitted over the upper extremities of the ends and in partprojects rcarwardly over the top inclined wall 13 of the inclosure 11.The drum 15 is preferably formed of sheet metal and comprises oppositeends 16 and a top 17 having openings 18 formed therein normally closedby plates or covers 19. The front wall 20 of the drum is outwardly bentin convex form fully from the front edge of the top 17 downwardly to'thelower edges of depending side flanges 21 which are continuations of theends 16. The lower edge portion of the front convex side 20 of the drumis flared outwardly as at 22 to give it a neat appearance and alsofacilitate the inflowing of the air into the front top portion of theheater. The drum 151 also has a rearwardly extending fine or outlet duct23, the said flue or duct 23 being preferably of rectangular form andfully closed except at its rear outlet end 24. T e closed to 25 of thisduct intersectsa rear closed wal 26 forming the back of the drum, andfrom the bottom of the flue or duct 23 downwardly to the lower edges ofthe flanges 21 the rear of the drum is fully open. he bottom 27 of theflue or duct 23 is continued forwardly and upwardly curved aboutcentrally between the wall 26 and the convex front 20 of the drum, asshown by Fig. 4, to provide a separating partition 28 for the drum, thesaid partition causing the products of com hustion to flow upwardlytoward the top of the interior of the drum then downwardly in rear ofthe said partition into the fine 2' and from the latter pass off intothe chimney. as will be hereinafter specified. Mounted in the rearportion of the drum between the upper terminal of the partition 28 andthe rear wall 26 is a damper 29 having an operating rod 30 with asuitable gripping device located exteriorly at one end of the drum. Thedamper 29 is of such width that when it is closed the opposite sideedges thereof will fri tionally impinge against the opposin surfaces ofthe partition 28 and the rear wall 26, as shown by dotted lines inFig. 1. The flue or duct 23 also has a stop rib 31 extending fullyaround the same at a suitable distance from the rear open end 24thereof, said stop rib or flange 31 being adapted to limit the insertionof the line in a supporting means therefor in one application of the,heater. The drum 15 as hereinbefore, indicated and clearly shown in thedrawin s is removably fitted over the upper extremlties of the ends 5with the flanges 21 fitting in the recesses 7 and engaging the shoulders8 and 9 to provide a support for the drum and also adapt the drum to beregularly and positively ap lied. Then the drum is applied as just expained, the upper edge of the inclined top wall 13 of the rear inclosure11 is engaged by the lower wall 27 of the flue or duct 23, as shown byFig. 4, and by this means the products of combus- Lion pass up from thegrate l4 and are deflected forwardly by the wall 13 and forced to passup between the surfaces of the partition 28 and the front wall :20 ofthe drum and then downwardly around the partition into the flue or duct23.

In the application of the improved heater as shown by Figs. 1 and it isassociated with a partition wall 3 forming the back of the fireplaceopening 32, and in the upper portion of the said partition wall 31 anelongated opening 33 is constructed and provided with a metal lining orelongated thimhie 34- which sungly fits in the said opening 33 andtapers or converges rearwardly. The thimble 3d acts as a reinforcinglining for the opening 3 and also as a support for the wmponents of thewall or partition 31, and. further, as a means for tightly receiving therear extremity of the line or duct 23, the rib 31 of the flue or ductabutting against the front edge of the elongated thimble 3-1 when thefine or duct is inserted in the said thiinble, the front edge of thesaid thimble being formed with an angular flange 35 against which therib 31 has engagement. When the rib 31 is in contact with the flange ofthe thimble 34. the flanges 21 depending from the ends or end walls 16of the drum will have been fully fitted in the recesses, '7. and whenthe drum so applied the rear wall 26 will stand away from the adjacentpart of the well over the top of the fireplace opening 32, as shown byFig. 4, to form a narrow duct space 36 for circulation of airiherethrough and whereby the upper rear part of the drum may beadvantageouslv used to heat currents of air flowing throng the saidspace 36. Furthermore, as shown by Figs. 1 and 5, the rear or back wall12 of the inclosure 11 will stand in advance of the adjacent outersurfaceof the partition or wall 81 and provide a rear duct 37, and asthe front of the fireplace is fully open at 0pposite extremities of theimproved heater and in view of the fact that the said heater is not aswide as thefireplace, air will be permitted to freely circulate throughthe duct 37 in rear of the wall or side 12 and become heated, thusfurther taking advantage of all possible heating surface that may beexposed for heating the air within a room and economizing in the use offuel for heating purposes. At anytime desired and found necessary thedrum 1!) may be withdrawn from the fireplace and the remaining part ofthe heater and quickly reset, as there are no fastening means betweenthe flanges 21 and the upper extremities of the ends 5, nor betill lilo

tween the flue or duct 23 and the thimble 24, the flue or duct having africtional binding within the said thimbleJ The'flue or duct 23 opensinto the chimney flue 38 and the partition or wall 31 stands in advanceof the rear wall of the chimney flue and has a lower opening 39 thereinwhich is normally closed by a suitable slide door 40. Through the lowercentral part of the back wall or side 12 below the grate 14 an opening41 is formed and is normally closed by a hinged door 42 of suitableconstruction. By opening the door 42 the slide 40 may be reached andopened to clear the opening 39 and permit a shovel or other device to beinserted therein andclean out all sediment or deposit in the bottom ofthe flue 38 in the rear of the partition or wall 31, and subsequentlythe slide or door l0 may be closed and also the door 42, and by thismeans the deposit may be taken from the base of the chimney flue withoutwith drawing the same through any part of the improved heater above.

The improved heater is shown applied in diflerent manner in Fig. 6, andin this instance the fireplace 43 is without the partition or wall 31*,the chimney flue 38 opening directly into the top of the fireplace.Under these conditions the heater construction heretofore described andhaving similar reference characters applied thereto is set in thefireplace 43 and surrounded by a face strip 44 of metal which. closesthe front of the fireplace all around the heater, and under theseconditions the flue or duct 23 proj ects directly into the chimney flueas shown. In this modified application of the heater the heating effectwill be the same and the products of combustion will circulate upwardlythrough the drum and into the flue or duct 23 in the same manner asheretofore explained.

As an auxiliary feature to facilitate the heating of the currents of airdrawn under the grate 14, an air heating lining sheet 45 is inserted inthe grate and extends over the ends and also over a portion of the frontside of the rear wall or back side 12 of the inclosure 11 of the heater,the said air heating lining sheet being vertically corrugated so to forma plurality of duets 46 relatively to the parts of the heater againstwhich it is held, the vertical ducts 46 being open at the bottom of thegrate, and by this means the lower air currents may flew upwardlythrough the said ducts 46 close to the tire and become thoroughly heatedwith further economy in the use of fuel and advantage in heating anapartment or room. The lining sheet is may be removed at any timedesired and replaced by a new similar sheet, and it is proposed toconstruct the same of a material best adapted for the purpose such asmetal or some fire-resisting plastic-mate rial.

The openings 18, by removing the covers 19, may be utilized for heatingwater or other substances.

The improved heating means generally is comparatively simple in itsorganization and the parts thereof may be readily disposed in afireplace and assembled or dissociated. for removal, and it is obviousthat changes in the general dimensions and minor details of the severalparts thereof may be adopted without departing from the scope of theinvention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In aheating device of the class speci tied, the combination with anopen fireplace having communication with a chimney fine, of a heaterinset in the'fireplace and consisting of side members and rearextensions and a back wall extending upwardly in connection with theside members and provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined closedtop extending over the extensions of the side members, a grate heldfully between the side members and rear extensions, and a radiating drumopen at the bottom to fit over the side members and extensions and tooverhang the front edge; of the side members, the drum being providedwith a rearwardly extending flue for communicating with the chimneyflue, the said drum being interiorly divided for a ortion of itsvertical extent by a forwardly projecting portion of the bottom of theflue and provided with a damper for controlling the outlet to the saiddrum flue.

2. In a heating device of the class specified, the combination with anopen fireplace in communication with a chimney flue, of supporting sidemembers having a rear inclosure provided with an upper forwardly andupwardly inclined closed top, a grate held a ainst the rear inclosureand between the si e supporting members, and a drum removably insertedabove the upper ends of the side members and having a flue extendingover and engaging the upper edge of the said inclosure top, the drumflue having communication with the chimney flue, the drum being open atthe bottom and having a partition extending horizontally in line withthebottom of the line and then upwardly into the drum to partiallydivide the drum and provide a. passage opening into the drum flue.

3. In a heating device of the class speci fied, the combination of anopen fireplace having a rear partition wall with an opening therethroughcommunicating with a chimney flue, of a heater disposed in the fireplaceand comprising side member supports and a rear inclosure with an upperforwardly and upwardly inclined closed top terminating'at its upper edgeat the rear terminals of the upper ends of thesaid supports, a grateheld between and within the the bottom of the chimney member supportsand a drum removably mounted over the. upper ends of the supports andhaving a rearwardly extending flue fitted in the opening of thepartition, the bottom of the flue engaging the upper front edge of thesaid closed top and the flue being fully open at the bottom over thesupports to permit the products of combustion to circulate upwardly'thereinto and then pass out through the flue thereof and into thechimney flue.

l. In a heating device of the class specified. the combination of anopen fireplace having a rear partition wall with an opening therethroughcommunicating with a chimney flue, of a heater disposed in tho fireplaceand comprising side members and a rear inolosure with an upper forwardlyand upwardly inclined closed top terminating at its upper edge at therear terminals.

of the upper ends of the grate supporting side members. a gratesupported by said side members and a drum removably mountedovcr theupper ends of the side members and having a rearwardly extending fluefitted in the opening oi the partition. the bottom of the flue engagingthe upper front edge of the said closed top and the flue being fullyopen at the bottom over the side members to permit the products ofcombustion to circulate upwardly thereinto and then pass out through theflue thereof and into the chimney flue, the lower central portion of thesaid fireplace partition and center of the back of the extension fromthe sides having openings therein provided with closing doors wherebysediment may be re moved from the bottom of the chimney flue.

5. In a heating device of the class speci fied, the combination of anopen fireplace having a rear partition wall with an opening therethroughcommunicating with a chimney flue, of a heater disposed in the fireplaceand comprising side members and a rear inclosure with an upper forwardlyand upwardly inclined closed top terminating at its upper edge at therear terminals of the upper ends of the grate supporting side members. agrate supported by said memhers and a drum removably mounted over theupper ends of the side members and having a rearwardly extending fluefitted in the opening of the partition, the bottom of the flue engagingthe upper front edge of'the said closed top and the flue being fullyopen at the bottom over the side members to permit the products ofcombustion to circulate upwardly thereinto and then pass out through theflue thereof and into the chim; ney flue, the lower central portion ofthe said fireplace partition and center of the back of the extensionfrom the sides having openings therein provided with closing doorswhereby sediment may be removed from flue, the backof there-throughcommunicating with a chimney flue, a heater comprising side members anda rear inclosure having a forwardly and upwardly inclined closed topterminating at the rear oi the top edges of the grate supporting sidemembers and leaving an opening between the upper ends of said sidemembers, a grate supported by said members, a drum removably appliedover the upper ends of the side members and fully open at the bottom,the drum having a rearwardly extending the upper edge of the said closedtop and also provided with a surrounding rib, and a thimble mounted inthe opening of the fire-- place partition, the rear extremity of thedrum flue being inserted in said thimble and limited in its rearwardmovement by the rib engaging the front edge of the thimble.

T. In a heating device of the class specifled. the combination of anopen fireplace having a partition wall with an opening thereincommunicating with a chimney flue a heater disposed in the fireplace andcomprising side members and a rear inclosure with an upwardly andforwardly inclined closed top terminating at the rear portions of theupper extremities of the said side members, :1 grate supported by saidmembers, the upper ends of the grate supporting side members havingrecesses formed therein, and a drum open at the bottom and having closedends with depending extension flanges fitted and held in the recesses ofthe said grate supporting side members and also provided with arearwardly extending horizontal closed flue engaging the up er edge ofthe said closed top and provided with a surrounding rib at a distance inadvance of the rear open end of said flue, the opening in the fireplaceartition having a thimble fitted therein which converges toward the rearend and adapted to receive the rear extremity of the drum flue and havethe rib of the latter engage the front edge of the said thimble.

8. In a heating device of the class specified, the combination of anopen fireplace having communication with a chimney flue. a heaterdisposed in the fireplace and comprising side members and a rearinclosure continuing from the said side members and provided with anupwardly and forwardly inclined closed top terminating in rear of theupper ends of the said side members, the side members being providedwith recesses in their upper extremities, a grate supported horizontalflue engaging by said side members and a drum with an around anddownwardly in rear of the par open bottom fitted over the upper ends oftition into the drum flue.

the side members and having depending end In testimony whereof I havehereunto set flanges to fit in the said recesses and also my hand inpresence of two subscribing wit- 5 provided with a rearwardly extendinghorinesses.

zontal flue which engages the upper edge of JAMES S NICHOLS the saidclosed top, the drum having an interior partition partially extending upWitnesses:

Wardly therethrough to direct the products WM. HARALSON,

10 of combustion upwardly thereinto and W. E. Soossms.

